Love Stories
by Akai Ito
Summary: Her name was Tsuki. The girl that tried to teach Shigure how to dance. The girl that use to made Shigure dizzy. The girl that Shigure had to leave behind. The girl that had stolen Shigure's heart when he was ten.
1. Shigure and the photograph

Chapter 1

"Shigure? Shigure? It's time for dinner." Tohru lightly knocked on the door of the writer's office. He had spent the whole day there. All he said was that he wanted to be alone so he could continue writing his novel. Tohru listened quietly for a reply when she didn't hear one she tried the doorknob. Carefully she opened the door and peered into the messy office. Inside she saw the writer fast asleep on his untidy desk.

Tohru went in quietly and took a closer look. Shigure's head was resting on stack of papers and in his hand was an old tattered photograph. The photograph was of a long black haired girl and a boy. The girl stared up from the picture with clear gray eyes and a kind warm smile. The boy, Tohru guessed was Shigure because of the messy black hair and goofy smile, seemed to be entranced by the cute girl.

Shigure stirred a bit. "Tsuki..." he whispered in his sleep. Tohru who had been intrigued by the photo now turned her gaze to Shigure. Tsuki. Could that have be the girl in the picture? Tohru wondered about the girl in the picture but it would have been rude to ask. She had already entered his office without permission, instead Tohru resolved to wake up the sleeping writer.

"Shigure. It's time for dinner." She placed her hands on his shoulders and lightly shook him. Tohru watched as the writer slowly opened his eyes and returned to the waking world.

"Hello Tohru. It's time for dinner already? I'll be there in just a minute." Shigure yawned. He started to fix his papers and organize his desk.

Tohru left the room without another word but it was difficult not the ask him about the picture. It was so tempting to ask but, she just bit her tongue and decided to ask him another time.

At dinner Kyo and Yuki were going at it like the cat and mouse they were. This time it was about some unimportant matter.

"Well that didn't mean you had do it!" Kyo answered angrily after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" Yuki retorted darkly.

"If you can do what you want, then so can I!" Kyo's orange eyes stared haughtily at Yuki.

"You're an idiot!" Yuki seemed to be using all his will power to stop himself from slapping Kyo.

Tohru watched Kyo as he ate the dinner she had prepared. Even though it was wrong that he was fighting with Yuki she couldn't help but think how cute he was. Tohru wondered to herself who Kyo really was to her. Kyo, the orange haired boy that made her heart skip. The one that she secretly thought of every night in bed before she went to sleep. The who made her smile whenever he smiled. She had feelings for the cat boy but she had never really confirmed them to him. She just didn't know how to express herself to him.

Tohru's gazed turned from the orange haired boy to Shigure. Tohru noticed a difference in Shigure's behavior. He was usually a jubilant character but Shigure seemed preoccupied. Tohru decided she could ask him what was bothering him later. After Dinner Yuki and Kyo thanked Tohru for the meal and returned to their rooms to do homework.

After cleaning the table and dishes Tohru retreated to the living room. To Tohru's surprise Shigure was there. He was sitting on the floor and looking up at the moon. There was a distance look in his eyes like he was in a deep train of thought.

"Umm...Shigure?" Tohru coughed a little so she could announce her presence.

"Tohru? Is there anything you need from me?" Shigure turned to look at Tohru. Even though he smiled she could tell that it was almost forced.

Tohru took a deep breath. "Is there something bothering you Shigure? I mean you don't have to tell me but if you need someone to talk to or something. I'm here." She smiled sweetly and waited for his reply.

Shigure smiled back at her, this time it was a real smile. It was just not his usually happy one, but a sad one. "Tohru. have you ever been in love?"

Tohru could feel her face start to blush and her breath quicken. "Well...umm...It's just that..."

Shigure laughed softly at her. "Tohru, you know that novel I've been writing. It's actually a love story."

"A love story?" Tohru who had pulled herself together walked over and sat besides Shigure.

"A love story about to boy and girl. The girl loves to dance and she tries to teach the boy. While the girl teaches the boy how to dance, she also teaches him how love. The boys falls in love with the girl, but he never gets to tell her his feeling because of his complicated circumstances. " Shigure continued.

"Does it have a happy ending?" She asked.

"I'm not sure because it hasn't happened yet." Shigure answered thoughtfully.

They sat quietly for a while. Tohru decided it would have been a good time to ask Shigure about the photograph. She gather her courage and asked. "Shigure who was that black haired girl in the photograph with you? You know the photograph that was in your hand when you fell asleep."

Shigure faced Tohru. "You saw that? Well I guess I can't keep it from you anymore. She was my childhood friend, Tsuki. When I was ten years old she tried to teach me how to dance. We would hold hands and she would teach me how to move with music. Of course I never did learned how to dance because being with her always made me dizzy." Shigure laughed at himself.

"Dizzy because of the dancing?" Tohru asked.

"Some of it was from the dancing but most it was because I loved her." Shigure stared up at the moon again.

"What ever happened to Tsuki?"

"You know I tried so hard. So hard to make sure that she never learned about my curse. But of course she found out one day and you know what they did. Then after that I couldn't ever see her again. Well I guess she must have moved on."

"I'm sorry." It must have been hard on Shigure and Tsuki. She remembered when she almost had her own memory erased. She couldn't imagine her life without Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure. What would have happened to her if they did erase her memory. She would have forgotten everyone, even Kyo.

"You shouldn't be sorry. It was my fault that I never told her that I loved her. I still wonder to this day what she would have said if I told her." With that Shigure stood up and headed back to his office. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks and faced Tohru. He said, "Oh and Tohru, I hope you don't make the same mistake I made." Then he continued on to his office.

Tohru didn't get up for a while. Shigure's words played back in her head, "Being with her always made he dizzy." There was a certain orange haired boy that made her blood flow to her cheek, that made her stomach fill with butterflies, that made her head spin. It was almost like she was dizzy but she never wanted the feeling to stop. Then she remembered Shigure's last words. The same mistake. Did Shigure mean the mistake of not telling someone that you loved them? What would happen if Kyo moved on? What if she never told him how she felt?

To be continued...


	2. Yuki and breakfast

Chapter 2

_Her hands in his. _

_His fingers laced in with hers._

_Her scent of cherry blossoms lingered in the air._

_Her long black hair followed her every movement._

_Her body moved effortlessly. _

_Evenly with the rhythm. _

_His steps faltered as he followed._

_The way she lead him._

_Deeper and Deeper with every step._

_The way his head felt lighter._

_Everything began to spin._

_He was Dizzy in love._

Shigure opened his eyes. It took him a few second for him to remember where he was. He had been dreaming. Dreaming of dancing with her. Shigure sat up in his bed and tried to remember his dream. He tired to remember the way she held his hand, the way she guided him, and they way he felt around her. He tried to grasp the feeling in the dream but it seemed to running faster and faster away. He sighed and dropped back down on the bed, after a few minutes he decided to go back to sleep. Maybe he if he did he would dream of her again.

Tohru had gotten up early that morning to cook breakfast. She happily went about making breakfast. She had decided to make it extra special this morning because she had a certain person in mind. She started to fix the table when someone greeted her.

"Good morning..." Yuki greeted in a yawn.

She turned to face the purple haired boy. Tohru greeted him with a smile. "Good morning! I'm just fixing breakfast."

"I'll help you fix the table." Yuki offered as he took the plates from Tohru's hands.

"You don't really have to...uh..." Tohru insisted but Yuki was busy placing the places around the table.

"It looks extra special today. What's the occasion?" Yuki said after they had finished setting the table. He looked at all the delicious food on the table.

Before Tohru could say anything they were joined by Shigure and Kyo.

"Good morning! What is this? What were you two doing while Kyo and I were still asleep?" Shigure asked eyeing Tohru and Yuki suspiciously.

Tohru could feel herself blush. "Well...uh...it's not what your thinking!" Tohru remembered how distant he was the night before but this morning he seemed to have gone to his old self.

"Nothing they were doing nothing." Kyo answered for them.

"I think someone's jealous..." Shigure taunted as he faced Kyo.

"I-I'm not jealous...I'm just...uh...hungry!" Kyo exclaimed blushing.

"Sure. Keep telling that to yourself." Shigure teased.

"It looks like Tohru worked very hard on this food and we should eat before it gets cold." Yuki interrupted Kyo and Shigure.

With that everyone sat down and ate the food that Tohru had prepared. Kyo seemed a annoyed at what Shigure said and ate breakfast quietly. Tohru watched and felt her heart sink. She had made sure that breakfast was extra special and Kyo didn't seem to notice.

"Tohru do you need anything at the market? I'm going to town today." Shigure asked after swallowing a mouthful.

Tohru thought to herself for a moment. "Well I do need to go grocery shopping." She answered slowly.

"Well I'm going to town. Why don't you come with me! You two can come if you want." Shigure offered to Yuki and Kyo.

Yuki shook his head. "Thanks for the offer but I need to work on my garden."

"How about you jealous boy?" Shigure asked the silent Kyo.

"I wish I could go but I'm going to practice my fighting skills today." He answered quickly.

"Well I guess it's just going to be Tohru and I. Don't worry I promise I'll take care of her." Shigure smiled devilishly at the cat and rat.

"You better not try anything funny." Kyo answered darkly.

"Jealous again?" Shigure joked.

"I'm not jealous!" Kyo insisted angrily. He went back to eating his breakfast and he didn't say another word.

After breakfast and cleaning the table Tohru retreated to her room. She got herself ready to go to the market. She opened her closet and looked for the perfect outfit to wear. In the middle of picking an outfit she stopped and sighed to herself. Why was she getting all dressed up? Kyo wasn't going with Shigure and her. With those thoughts in mind Tohru picked a simple outfit. She tried to get her mind off Kyo and started to think about the things she needed to buy at the grocery store. She listed all the food mentally.

Tohru's thoughts were interrupted because someone knocked on the door. "Tohru? Are you ready?" Shigure yelled from the other side.

Tohru quickly made her way the door and opened it. A smiling Shigure greeted her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. I'm ready." She quickly closed the room of her door and followed Shigure.

It was a beautiful day at town. The warm sun was shining and the sound of birds chirping could be heard. People seemed to have taken advantage of the beautiful, there seemed to be lots of people crowding the shops and stores. The atmosphere was merry despite the busy hustle of the townspeople. As Tohru and Shigure walked along the stores she couldn't help but smile. Going to town seemed to have cheered her up a bit.

"We don't we visit the book store and then visit the grocery store? I need some materials to finish my book." Shigure suggested merrily as they walked down the street.

Tohru smiled and nodded her head happily. She followed Shigure to a small book store at the end of the street. Inside the bookstore as Shigure looked for his materials Tohru decided to look at the books on Cooking. Tohru finally choose on a cookbook she decided to look for Shigure. She walked through the aisle searching for the writer. Suddenly as Tohru walked pass a aisle she felt someone bump into her. She fell on the floor with the great impact.

"I'm so sorry..." Tohru apologized as she searched the floor frantically for the book that she dropped. She grabbed for a book on the floor but it wasn't her book it was one on dancing. She looked up at the person that she bumped into. It was a little girl. A little girl with long black and clear gray eyes. Tohru blinked and stared hard at the person she bumped. She couldn't believe her eyes, it was the girl in Shigure's picture.

To be continued...


	3. Midori and her book

Chapter 3

She had the same long black hair. She had the same clear gray eyes. She had the same face. She had the same smile. There was no mistaken that the little girl that Tohru bumped into was the girl in Shigure's picture. Tohru looked at the book in her hand. The book that the girl had dropped was about dancing. Didn't Shigure say that Tsuki had loved to dance and that she had tried to teach him? But it couldn't really be that same girl? That was impossible. Didn't Shigure say that the picture was taken when he 10 years old? But the girl sitting in front of Tohru looked exactly like the one in the old tattered photograph.

"Oh...I think this is yours." The blushing long black haired girl handed Tohru back her cookbook.

Tohru snapped out of her thoughts. "And I think this is yours." Tohru handed back the girl's book on dancing. Tohru picked herself off the floor and offered her hand to the little girl. The girl smiled sweetly and let Tohru help her up.

"I can't say how sorry I am for bumping into you." Tohru explained to the girl as she dusted herself off.

She shook her little head vigorously. "It's my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going. While I was walking I was looking at my book!" She held up her book so that Tohru could see.

"By the way My name's Tohru. What's yours?" Tohru asked the girl. She had to find out who the girl was and why she looked like the girl in the picture. Who was she? What was here relationship to Tsuki?

She pressed her book against her chest and hugged it tightly. The girl giggled and smiled shyly. "My name's Midori."

"Midori, you must be a really good dancer! Maybe you can teach me sometime." Tohru exclaimed.

"I'm not really good, but I love to dance. But it shouldn't be important if I'm good or not, what's important is that I'm doing something I love. I really would like to teach you! Then I would have someone to practice with! You could come to my house and I could teach you!" She exclaimed happily. Midori's bashfulness seemed to be melting away as she talked to Tohru more. Her eyes seemed to light up when she talked about her love of dancing.

"That would be nice! Aren't your mom and dad looking for you?" Tohru asked Midori as she scanned the book store.

Midori shook her head and looked up at Tohru. "I don't have a father. My mom was really young when she had me. My father left right after I was born."

Tohru regretted ever asking her about her parents. "Oh I'm really sorry...I...Uh...shouldn't have asked."

Midori shook her head again. "Don't worry it's OK. I never knew my father but my mom raised me all by herself. At least until..."

Midori never finished what she was saying, she was interrupted by a women. "Midori! Midori! There you are." A women with short black hair and clear gray eyes showed up next to Midori. She looked like an older more mature Midori. Could this be Tsuki? Maybe Midori was the daughter of Shigure's long lost love. Did that mean that Shigure could have a chance to meet his first love again? Midori didn't have a father. Did that mean that Shigure could have a chance to start all over? To be reunited with the girl that he had long left and maybe just maybe have a chance at real love.

"Midori we need to go dear!" The women explained fondly at the little girl.

"...But I wanna teach Tohru to dance. Can she come to our house?" Midori pleaded to the woman.

She smiled gently and shook her head. "I'm sure that Tohru has lots of other things to do. Now let's go." She turned to Tohru and smiled. "I'm really sorry if Midori was bothering you."

Tohru shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. "I don't mind ma'am! I want to let Midori teach me! I mean if that's OK and all."

The woman eyed Tohru and then turned her attention back to the black haired girl. "Here Midori pay for your book while I talk to your friend." The woman gave Midori money and lightly patted her on the back towards the cashier.

Midori looked at them with protesting eyes but then obeyed obediently. She hopped away with her book still clinging to her chest.

"Are you sure? Midori can be a handful. But if you really want to I'd be very grateful. I mean Midori doesn't really have any friends and I think it would be good if she had someone to play with. I mean she really has been through a lot. But if your really sure, you can come to our house." The woman explained to Tohru after Midori was out of sight.

"Don't worry I'm sure!" Tohru smiled brightly.

"Would around 3:00 PM today be good for you? I mean I don't have work today and Midori would be done with dance lessons."

"3:00 would be good for me!" Tohru answered. With that the woman gave Tohru her address and phone number. After thanking Tohru she left abruptly and went to look for the little black haired girl.

Tohru stared hard at the little piece of paper in her hand. That woman must have been Midori's mother, Tsuki. The girl that use to teach Shigure how to dance. The first girl that Shigure had ever loved. Tohru crumpled the paper and held it tightly in her fist. She was determined to make Tsuki and Shigure meet again. She would do everything in her power to make them see each other again.

Tohru quickly made her way through the aisles of the bookstore to find the writer. Tohru stopped in the fiction section. She spotted the black haired author near the love novels. He seemed to be absorbed in a book that he picked up off the shelf.

She made her way towards to him. "Shigure! Shigure! Are you done?"

Shigure quickly hid the book he was reading behind his back. He seemed to be embarrassed of being caught in the love novel section. "Tohru? Your done already? Well I guess we can go!" He laughed nervously and quickly threw the book he was reading to one side. "Let's go! Let's go!" Shigure pushed Tohru out of the fiction section to the cashier.

After they had finished with the bookstore the pair headed towards the grocery store. As Tohru and Shigure were buying food, she couldn't help but think about the events that had taken place in the bookstore. It must have been fate or something. Just last night he was talking about the girl that he had left and the very next day Tohru just happened to meet her. She smiled to herself as she picked some vegetables, she tried to imagine the look on Shigure's face when he saw the girl that he had loved before. Tohru wanted Shigure to be happy and she wanted to prove something. She wanted to prove that love never dies, that through everything if two people were meant to be together that they would be. Maybe Shigure and Tsuki were meant for each other. And maybe Shigure could finally finish his book, finish it with a happy ending.

Shigure and Tohru finally finished shopping and two returned home. Shigure went straight to his office to continue writing and Tohru headed to the kitchen to make lunch. Tohru happily put her apron on and decided to start right away. First she took out the vegetables she just bought and she started to chop them. She happily went about cooking lunch when she heard a cough behind her.

Tohru turned around to find Kyo standing there. Kyo was usually the confident and daring cat, but now he seemed bashful. He stared at the floor and avoided eye contact with Tohru. "Umm...Can I...you know...help you make lunch?" Kyo asked as he looked up at her slowly.

At first Tohru seemed surprised at the request but then she smiled brightly at him. "Of course you can Kyo!" With that the orange haired boy went to where Tohru was and he helped her with the vegetables. Together, side by side Tohru and Kyo stood in the kitchen making lunch.

To be continued...


	4. Kyo and apologies

Chapter 4

Together Kyo and Tohru made lunch in the kitchen. There was silence except for the soft humming of the stove and sound of the knife on the chopping board. As Tohru worked she stole glances and the orange haired boy next to her. Evey time she did she could feel her blood rushing to her cheeks. As she blushed she would quickly turn away so that Kyo wouldn't notice. Maybe it was just Tohru's imagination but as she watched him chop the vegetables, Kyo seemed stiffer and more tense then usual.

"I'm sorry." Kyo exclaimed quietly, breaking the silence. He stopped chopping vegetables and turned to the girl standing next to her.

Tohru felt her face go into a blush. She pretended to look at the soup so that Kyo wouldn't see. "Uhh...what do you mean?" She asked in a shaky voice, avoiding Kyo's stare.

"I was...umm...you know a jerk this morning at breakfast." Kyo quickly turned his attention back to the knife and chopping board. "What I'm trying to say is that you worked hard on that breakfast this morning. Yuki and I, we talked. He said that I acted like a jerk this morning. I won't admit to him, but he was right."

"Well it's Ok! Really!" Tohru exclaimed in a nervously. Tohru returned the lid of the soup pot and studied the boy standing next to her. He was acting strange. He acted like his was guilty of a crime far worst then being disrespectful. The way he spoke and the way he bowed his head indicated that he was truly sorry and ashamed of himself.

Kyo shook his head vigorously as he looked up. "It's not Ok! I was stupid. I mean I was too thick headed to notice that you put a lot of effort in your food!"

Tohru stared in surprise for a moment, then a warm smile spread across her face. "Kyo, It's Ok."

A flush of red invaded the Kyo's tan face. He quickly resumed chopping the vegetables. Kyo and Tohru spent the rest of the afternoon in silence. Tohru contemplated on herself and her feelings for the cat. It was sweet how he thought and cared about her. Tohru was positive that she never wanted Kyo to move on. She was sure that she wanted to be with Kyo forever. But how exactly did someone express their feelings for someone else? Could she just tell him what she felt for him? Was it possible that Kyo didn't feel the same way? Was it possible that Kyo didn't feel dizzy around her, the way she felt dizzy around him.

They finished lunch and they set the table. Tohru called Shigure and Yuki for lunch. They sat down to eat the meal that Kyo and Tohru had prepared. Making lunch with Kyo had taken Tohru's mind off of Tsuki for a moment. But since Shigure sat at the table and ate in front of her, she remembered the date that she had set with Midori. It was true that she had a chance to go to Midori's house and get to know the little girl better, but how was Tohru going to get Shigure to reunite with Tsuki.

She had to have a plan. "Shigure, I'm going to my friends house at 3:00 today and I was wondering if you could take me there?" Tohru asked hopefully.

Shigure thought to himself for a moment. "I'm sorry I can't. I promised Hatori that I would visit him today at 2:00. But I will probably be able to pick you up."

It wasn't what Tohru had hoped for but at least it was something. If things worked out maybe Shigure would be able to see Tsuki again. "That would be good. I guess around 5:00."

The writer thought to himself for another moment. "Why are you asking me? I mean I'm sure that both of these boys would be more than glad to take you there and pick you." He asked as he stared at Tohru suspiciously.

Tohru had to think of an reason, an excuse, anything. "It's just that...well..."

"I'm going to take Tohru there but I can't pick her up because Yuki and I are bust tonight." Kyo answered for her.

Yuki shot a suspicious look at the cat boy. "We are?"

"We are." Kyo answered firmly as he stared darkly at Yuki.

Yuki stared hard at Kyo and then glanced at Tohru. Usually Yuki might have denied it but the look in Tohru's face was a mix of confusion and worry. Yuki decided to give in and pretend that what Kyo had said was true. "Yes. Kyo and I are busy tonight." He finally exclaimed to Shigure.

Shigure shrugged to himself and he continued his lunch happily. Yuki and Kyo spend the rest of the meal exchanging heated looks while they ate.

Tohru ate the rest of her lunch in silence. Kyo had just helped her. Was it possible that Kyo did cared for her the same way that Tohru cared for him. Tohru shook the thoughts off right away. This was no time to think about herself, it was time to plan on how she could bring Tsuki and Shigure together. The only thing she could do was hope that when Shigure picked her up that he would meet Tsuki. It was a pretty simple plan but there were several ways that it might backfire. What if Shigure doesn't get a chance to meet her? What if he didn't recognize her? Tohru sighed to herself, it wasn't the best plan but at least it was something.

When they had finished eating lunch Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure helped Tohru clear the table and clean the dishes. After that Yuki resumed working on his garden, Kyo decided to practice his fighting skills again, and Shigure retreated back to his office. Tohru decided to do some laundry before she went to Midori's house. At 2:00 true to his word Shigure left to go visit Hatori. Then when it was nearing 3:00 Tohru finished her housework and got herself ready to go.

Tohru was just about ready to leave the house when someone called her. "Tohru. I'm going to take you to your friend's house." Kyo exclaimed as he approached her.

"Thanks for helping me at lunch. But you don't have to go through the trouble." Tohru insisted kindly. Kyo had done enough already she didn't want to bother him.

"I want to." He answered simply as he joined Tohru near the door.

Tohru opened her mouth to explain that it wasn't needed but she decide against it. If he really wanted to come with her who was she to stop. Instead Tohru smiled and nodded her head.

Together Tohru and Kyo walked quietly next to each other. The day didn't change since that morning, it was still a nice clear day. Tohru remembered what Kyo had done at lunch. Why exactly had he lied to Shigure for her. She couldn't help but think about it when she glanced at the orange haired boy walking next to her.

Tohru stopped for a second and looked up at Kyo. She had to know. "Kyo, why did you lie to Shigure for me?"

Kyo looked into Tohru's eyes for a moment, but tore away quickly because he was started to blush. Kyo just shrugged, it seemed he wasn't so sure himself. "Are you going to Hana's house or Uo's house?" Kyo asked, changing the subject.

"Neither. I'm going to another friend's house." Tohru answered as she examined the piece of paper that Tsuki had given her.

Kyo raised his eyebrows at her but remained silent. The pair continued walking. Finally Tohru stopped in front of a pretty white house at the end of a street. The house itself wasn't big but it was endearing and lovely. "This is it." Tohru muttered to herself as she checked the piece of paper.

Tohru rang the doorbell of the house and waited for someone to open it. "Are you going to be all right?" Kyo asked Tohru as they waited at the gate of the house.

"I can take of myself. Thank you Kyo for everything." Tohru answered. Not long and then the short haired women that Tohru had meet earlier opened the gate.

"Come in." She offered as she opened the door and motioned them both in.

"Nice to meet you, Ma'am. I'm just here to drop Tohru off. Good Bye." Kyo quickly bowed his head and went on his way.

Tsuki showed Tohru in the gate. Suddenly a familiar voice called out to her. "Tohru! Tohru! You came!" It was Midori. She happily ran to Tohru and grabbed her hand. Midori lead Tohru into the lovely white house.

To be continued...


	5. Tsuki and dancing lessons

N/A: Please forgive me for the very late update. I have been very busy. Anyway I just wanted to inform my readers that I only plan on making this fic up to 7 chapters. Which means it's coming to an end.

Chapter 5

The little white house was lovely and quaint. Every room was furnished tastefully and decorated with fresh wild flowers. It looked like one of the houses Tohru saw in a lifestyle magazine. Midori held Tohru's hand and quickly led her to a small room. The small room wasn't furnished lavishly but it was still pretty. The room's window was open and it let the shining sun through. The pretty room was filled with a warm happy light. Inside the room there was a small pink bed that matched the rose flowered wallpaper, a dresser with a built-in mirror in the corner, and a brown wooden desk behind the open window. On top of the desk were a radio CD player and several CDs and tapes. Midori silently motioned for Tohru to sit on a brown velvet chair. Obediently Tohru sat on the chair and continued to examine the four walls of the room.

"Tohru! Tohru, watch me!" Tohru quickly turned her attention to Midori. Midori pushed a button on her CD player and a soft sweet song started to play. She started to dance. Her steps fell perfectly with the rhythm. She moved effortlessly with the enchanting music. She spun gracefully across the room. Tohru was hypnotized. She was a Ballerina in a music box. She was a swan gliding on water. She was a wild flower blowing in the breeze. Tohru watched mesmerized by the little girl. Everything else in her surroundings seemed to melt as the little girl danced. For a moment there was nothing but Midori and the soft rhythm of the music.

She came to an elegant finish as the soft music faded and finally stopped. "So? How was it?" Midori exclaimed shyly.

"It was . . . you were . . . " Tohru was speechless. There were no words to describe what she had just witnessed. "You were wonderful." Tohru replied gently. It was true. Tohru had never seen anything or anyone move so beautifully before.

Midori let out a soft giggle and smiled brightly. She was swelling with pride and contentment. "Here, I'll teach you." Midori quickly grabbed Tohru by the wrists and pulled her from the chair.

'"I...no . . . I can't . . . " Tohru hesitated. She wasn't graceful. She wasn't elegant. Most of all she didn't how to dance. She'd probably trip over her own feet if she tried.

Midori's smiled quickly changed to a pout. "But you said that you wanted me to teach you!" She protested.

It was true. She had asked Midori to teach her. Wasn't this why she was here? To let Midori teach her to dance. Just like Tsuki had taught Shigure to dance ten years ago. Tohru thought about Midori's graceful movement. Was that how Tsuki had danced? Was that the dance that Shigure had fallen in love with? Who could blame him? The way that Midori danced was simply stunning.

"Okay. You can teach me."Tohru sighed and decided to give in. Tohru stood up form the brown chair, ready for anything.

Midori spent the rest of the afternoon teaching Tohru how to dance. Midori would take Tohru's hand and teach her how to move her body evenly with the music. It was difficult. Tohru tripped over her own feet several times in the process, but all in all, but it wasn't all that bad. Tohru would just laugh it off and try whatever move Midori was trying to teach her. In the end Tohru even started to enjoy dancing.

"You . . . were . . . great . . . " Midori complimented in a pant. They had been dancing for a while and fatigue and tiredness was starting to set in.

"Thanks. I have a good teacher." Tohru replied as she wiped sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. It had been hard but fun. As she looked up, she happened to glance at the flower-shaped clock in Midori's room. It was almost 5:00. Shigure was going to be there soon. Tohru remembered the plan that she he concocted earlier. Panic and worry started to overtake her. Could it possibly work? What if it didn't? All Tohru knew for sure was that Shigure would be there soon and hopefully he would meet his long lost love. But what did she really know about Tsuki?

"Midori, can I ask you something?" Tohru smiled and asked the little girl sitting next to her.

"What is it Tohru?" Midori asked tilting her head to one side.

"Your mother, was she the one that taught you how to dance?" Tohru inquired.

Midori nodded. "Yes, she taught me to love music. She taught me how to dance. She was like a ballerina when she danced. I wanted to be just like her." Midori wasn't facing Tohru anymore. She gazed at the open window with a far away look. The fading sun shone through the window and a light breeze blew through the room.

"Then you spent lots of time with your mother dancing, just the two of you." Tohru commented quietly.

Midori stared at Tohru again, her eyes were big and sad. "We don't. My mother's..."

Midori was cut off by a loud noise. They heard a doorbell ring. Tohru and Midori left the room and went to see who it was. Panic started to consume Tohru. It was most likely Shigure. Tohru felt her heart beat faster. This was the moment. The moment when Shigure and Tsuki would be reunited again. Tohru couldn't but help feel anxious. She hoped that by some chance her plan would succeed and that Shigure and Tsuki would recognize each other.

Tohru and Midori made their way to the front door. There they silently waited and watched. Tsuki quickly made her way to the wooden gate of the house. She opened it. From the gate emerged a tall dark figure. Tohru froze. It was Shigure. He politely bowed and then looked up at the woman that had opened the gate for him. Their eyes meet. Shigure stood frozen in shock. The smiled on his face faded quickly, confusion and surprised filled his eyes.

He blinked and stared even harder. Could it be? Could it be her? Was he imaging it? The women looked very familiar. If he wasn't mistaken he had known her a long time ago. About ten years ago. She had a striking resemblance to his old childhood friend, Tsuki.

She also seemed taken a back by the tall dark stranger. It was like she had met him before somewhere, but she couldn't remember where. Who was this man? Where had she meets him before? Why was he so familiar?

They stood in silence, their eyes never parting. Each lost in thoughts of one another. Shigure was the first to speak and break the silence. He coughed and gazed deeply in the woman's eyes. "Have we met before?" He asked in a low hoarse whisper. He had to know if she was the same girl that had taught him to dance. If she was the same girl that he had fallen in love with.

A bright smiled spread across the women's face because she seemed to remember something. "By any chance are you Shigure Soma?"

To be continued...


	6. Her and the truth

N/A: The next chapter is the last one of brace yourselves. Again forgive for the extremely late update. Since the next chapter's the heartfelt conclusion I'll try to post it as soon as possible.

Chapter 6

Shigure felt his heart stop. Memories of music, motion, and feelings returned to him. He remembered his beautiful childhood friend, Tsuki. All the feelings of dizziness and love that he thought were lost somehow found a way back to the surface of his consciousness. But could it her? Could it be by some twist of fate that here he was standing in front of girl that use to make his heart beat faster? But as he remembered it his family erased her memory when she found out about his secret. Why did she remember him? Shigure searched deep into the woman's grey eyes and searched for answers.

"Well I don't know if you remember me or not but we use to know each other when we were kids. I think it would be better if we talked inside." The woman kindly led Shigure into her little house.

A whirlpool of emotions and thoughts filled the confused dog. Shigure opened his mouth to speak but in the end decided against it for the fear of pouring his heart out. In the end all he could do was nod solemnly and follow her.

During the whole event Tohru was watching with gripping anticipation and Midori appeared a bit confused at what was happening but she remained silent.

"Midori get inside, we're going to have tea with Tohru and her friend." The woman exclaimed gently as she escorted Shigure into the front door. Midori and Tohru obediently entered the house and they made their way to the living room.

"Well, I think I'll make some tea." The woman left the three and hastily made her way to the kitchen.

Tension and silence filled the atmosphere as they sat there. Shigure was in a state of shock and he couldn't bring himself to speak. Tohru felt like she was going to die any moment because of the suspense. Midori was vaguely bewildered but she too opted to stay quiet.

As they sat there in uncomfortable silence Shigure happened to glance at Midori. His stare didn't leave the little girl. She looked like her. She looked so much like her. She looked like Tsuki. Could it be possible? Could she be Tsuki's daughter? But he shouldn't be surprised. People grow up, move on. So it shouldn't be suprising that Tsuki got married and had a child. It didn't matter. He never expected that he would meet Tsuki again and start a relationship. All he wanted was to see her again, talk to her. Maybe even dance with her one last time.

After what seemed like forever the short black haired woman came back with a tray of tea. She politely poured a cup green tea and offered it to Shigure. He just held out a hand and shook his head. He still seemed a little bit preoccupied as he watched the woman from the corner of his eye. She offered some to Tohru and Midori but they also didn't seem in the mood for tea.

Shigure couldn't take it any longer he felt like his heart was going to burst. Shigure looked at the short-haired woman besides him and whispered a single word. "Tsuki…"

The woman next to him responded strangely to the mention of the name. She smiled at Shigure, but it wasn't a happy smile it was a sympathetic one. She looked down at her cup of tea as she spoke. " I'm not Tsuki. Don't you remember? My sister, you and I use to play together? Don't you remember me…"

Memories of childhood filled the mind of the enlightened dog. He remembered Tsuki. He remembered the dancing. He remembered there was someone who always watched them. He remembered a girl named Natsu. She was only a year older than her sister Tsuki, the same age as Shigure. But he also remembered something else…

(Flashback)

A beautiful summer day. A boy standing alone in a forest. The background illuminates the boy and makes him appeared like a ghost under the shine of the sun.

"Shigure! Shigure! Shigure!" A girl with short black hair wearing a white sundress runs toward the messy haired boy.

The boy turns around and smiles as the girl approaches him. His bright smile is returned with a blush and a shy smile. She stops in front of him. Her hands are hidden behind her back, as she timidly stands there.

"What is it, Natsu?" The boy asks the shy girl.

This causes the girl to grow even more bashful but she awkwardly takes her hands out from behind her back. In it is a flower. A white daffodil sits in her dainty hands.

The boy's eyes widen slightly at the gift but then he smiles again at the girl. He reaches out to take the flower when. He hears someone call.

"Shigure! Shigure! Shigure!" Another girl comes running towards him. She looks a lot like the first girl expect she wears a cute pink dress and has long black hair. When the boy turns to the new girl a blush invades his cheeks. He forgets all about the flower turns his attention to the long haired girl.

"Shigure! I want to teach you this new dance!" The girl in the pink dress announces. She quickly grabs his hand and leads him off.

The short black haired girl looks down as she stands alone. Alone except for the daffodil.

(End Flashback)

"Natsu?" Shigure managed to croak out. He wasn't with the girl that he had fallen in love with, he was with the girl that had fallen in love with him. He looked at Natsu's sad but beautiful face. He blinked as all his hazy memories returned. Natsu remembered him because she had never found out about his secret. Her memories of him had never been erased into oblivion. She lived with his memory.

"You do remember me…" She smiled to herself, she seemed pleased that he least remembered her.

Shigure's was overwhelmed with a feeling a remorse, but couldn't take it anymore he had to find out what happened to her. "Natsu, what happened to Tsuki?" He asked quietly.

Natsu looked away at mention of the name. "My sister was a wonderful caring person and I loved her very much but she also wild one. She never wanted to live by the rules and she always braced freedom."

Shigure hung on every word that Natsu spoke, he even seemed to forget that Tohru and Midori were there. Tohru sat gripping the bottom of her chair until her knuckles turned white. Midori on the other hand sat with her head down.

"Her disregard led her down a bumpy road. At 18 she got pregnant and the father didn't even have the heart to marry her. So at 19 she had a little girl but she had no money. She did the only thing she could do. She got a job as a waitress in a coffee shop." Natsu painfully continued the story.

"And?" Shigure whispered. He had a bad feeling about at all but he had waited for 18 years to see Tsuki one more time. Even if she a child and she was a poor waitress, he yearned to her see again. Jut seeing her again would be enough for him.

Natsu continued her story with great difficulty. "One night she was coming home from work. She was waiting at the dark bus stop that she had always waited at. But there was a drunk driver and he drove off of the road. She never got home."

At that moment all Shigure's secret dreams of Tsuki melted. Tsuki, his childhood friend and first love, had died without ever knowing how much she meant to him. It also broke his heart to think that he would never be able to see her ever again. He would never feel her hands in his or her graceful body leading him awkwardly. He would never feel that dizzy feeling he always got around him. He would never be able to dance with Tsuki. He would never have one last dance.

Tohru sat frozen in shock. She had worked so hard. So hard to make sure that Shigure saw Tsuki once again but everything she had done was in worthless. Tohru hung her head in embarrassment and in guilt. How could she be so stupid? Instead of making things better she had made an even bigger mess.

Midori next to her still sat with her head down. Her voice escaped from her lips in a painful whisper. "She never got home and she left me. My Dad left me when I was born. Then my mom left me. Now I only have Aunt Natsu." Tears started to well up in her pretty grey eyes and slid down her ivory cheeks.

Natsu gracefully stood up and went Midori's side to comfort her. Then she looked up at Shigure and Tohru. "I'm very sorry but I think it's best if you left. If you like we can have tea another time." Natsu explained in a low voice as she patted Midori's back lightly.

"Yes, I think I'd be best if Tohru and I went on our way." Shigure announced in a calm voice. There just was so much to absorb. So many events had taken place in a single afternoon. The secret dreams that he had kept had kept in his heart for so long had slowly faded in a matter of minutes. Shigure guessed that his dreams would only be that dreams.

Silently Tohru and Shigure were escorted out by Natsu. They all bowed and exchanged goodbyes before Tohru and Shigure were off. They silently walked home together. Each lost in their own thoughts.

To be continued…


End file.
